There are three transfer deadlines Celtic and Hearts have to contend with this week: today, when the window closes in the five richest leagues, tomorrow at 11pm, when players need to be registered for European competition, and Thursday at 5pm, when the Scottish window closes. Smaller countries where the window closes later, can enjoy a few hours trade without being out-muscled by tiny (but comparatively rich) clubs.
So who are we up for? Dutch 19-year-old Joël van den Berg and Dane, Oliver Sørensen (24) arrived in Glasgow yesterday after medicals. Both are tall, mobile, midfielders and should be able to inject the kind of energy we missed so often over the last year.
Van den Berg arrives from PSV, where he was on the edge of breaking into the team, after the Eindhoven side cantered to the title last term. Sørensen left Midtjylland a year ago for Parma, where he played throughout the season but did not impress sufficiently for his new club to want to retain him. As we both know, we either have to be very early, or find someone who has not ticked all the boxes of an English side. Both are within development potential range, so fit the bill for Celtic.
Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone (33) will also be in town today to provide much needed competition to Viljami Sinisalo. Vil has started the season strongly (an indication of how porous we have been); I’m unclear which keeper Martin O’Neill will prefer. Johnstone played 12 EPL games last season but lost his place in December in a side which was by some margin the weakest in the league.
Cover is needed for other areas, mostly notably left back, where we currently have Kieran Tierney and a redeployed Liam Scales. The intensity of the season picks up from the middle of this month. It is not enough simply to be better than everyone else domestically, we need our backups to be able to complete too.
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Has the Ferry set sail for Glasgow yet? You know it makes sense.
Everone out to lunch?
Shim Mheuka of Chelsea in town for a medical, apparently. Ypung forward.
Sorry for typos, eyesight going I think.
“Mheuka has been highly clinical leading the line for England’s youth setups, especially after making the jump to the under-19 level:England U19: 23 caps, 16 goalsEngland U17: 10 caps, 6 goalsEngland U16: 12 caps, 4 goals”.
Sounds like a top prospect. Also won player of the year in the EPL 2 last season.
Auldheid
I agree with you, but, and always the but, we have no intention of attempting to progress in any meaningful way in any euro competition, just ask Ross Desmond if you have any doubts.
We have had 14 years to streak ahead of anything that resembles competition in Scotland, in that respect we have failed on a monumental scale, some of us who are more cynical than others would think that it’s planed, as far as I can see and you have said so yourself esp last season that competition is a good thing for the league, I don’t, I think that we should have concentrated on spending all our resources on bettering ourselves in Europe, we have had the chance on a fair few occasions, by doing so domestic domination would be a given, the support would be happy, there wouldn’t be any campaigns like the “not another penny” “Sack the board” or the like, IMO the board have failed big time, all for the sake of the OF.
HH
FC not PLC
The two midfielders are VERY welcome but a more defensive minded one would be even more welcome. Sadly our failure of a CEO means we have changed our approach since last Tuesday. Admittedly some will choose to go elsewhere as they will only come to Celtic if we are in the CL. That is fine. However some would still come if we paid their worth (or the going rate) but we choose to go for inferior options. We need some experience in the middle to help Mcgregor.
Sam Johnstone isn’t a challenge to Sinisalo. Sorry, but he is a second choice and nothing more. He is injury prone, has always settled for being second or third and is not what we need. Again, the lad at Blackburn at a reasonable £4m would fit but alas we have Nicholson at the helm.
We desperately need a left back but we also need a centre back for the EL standard. At this late stage – as ever – I would accept a proper left back.
I would hope any signing we make is better than what we have and therefore improve the squad.
As such they would automatically be included in our EL squad which renders the 5pm Thursday deadline irrelevant.
For me our de-facto deadline is 11pm tomorrow night.
If we are signing a centre forward are Hogh and Osmand facing length absences?
Kieran Tierney, Kasper Hogh and Callum Osmand are all missing from Celtic training this morning.
Hogh was left out of the squad for Saturday’s win against Falkirk, while Tierney was taken off with a slight injury.
And Osmand left Celtic Park on crutches and his left foot in a boot.
Captain Callum McGregor has returned to training after illness kept him out at the weekend.
As tenuous links go this is right up there but Sam Johnstone is a cousin of one of my boys old friends so we have followed his career a bit
He’s a decent keeper, a very good shot stopper decent with the ball at his feet, not so great on crosses. But all I’ve seen of him is in the Prem where weaknesses are shown up quickly and corners and set pieces are much better and more physical than just about anywhere else.
I don’t think he’s just a backup to Sinasalo, I’d say hes a better keeper than him right now but judging keepers is so difficult and Sinasalo will definitely benefit from being pushed by someone with his experience. Hes 24, masses of improvement left in him.
https://x.com/Gastro_Celtic/status/2094726172152156248?s=20
Here are Mheuka’s Academy Goals (which include the EPL2 ones):
Interesting loan signing injuries could give this young man an opportunity
Quad- sorry it is Palace
TET
So you honestly think that Celtic playing in a league with warm up opposition of the level of English 3rd tier would somehow mount a challenge in Europe.
In a league with zero global tv exposure that top players would be queuing up to play for a club with only a handful of meaningful European games each season ? IF we qualified.
Sadly that is not the way it would work.
Dessybhoy.
At end of Match of The Day there was a session with the BBC guy keeping an eye on transfers.
He said something that if the realisation of supporters of EPL teams grows removes an illusion that football is a sporting competition
It was on lines of top EPL teams will now sell their best player to a competitor if the price is right, even if it strengthens the competitor and weakens them.
Apart from that danger look at the price Villa are now paying for winning the EL.
Fined by UEFA and part suspended if they move to FSR SCR complaiance.
Aston Villa news: The details behind Uefa fine – BBC Sport
https://share.google/oppj5KYbFlUsKZtMj
On watching MoD I only realised they had sold the best goal keeper in the WC to Chelsea for peanuts at £7.5m.
The trophy should have been witheld as well to send out the strongest message possible that not observing SCR has real consequences and that day will come once the EPL decide what to do about Man City.
It is inevitbale to save football as a sport and that is in UEFA’s best interest.
The EPL Financial Regs are also aligning more with FSR.
KTF.
Mheuka coming in will mean Kenny can go back to Bolton. Provides immediate cover for the injured Hogh and Osmand.
There was a presenter on Sky Sports news and she asked a couple of pundits why the EPL is able to spend all this money while other leagues cant? For the sake of retaining their jobs they didn’t answer, thinks she needs to do a bit of research into how much other leagues get in TV money and how it’s divided up.
The usual Celtic meticulous Transfer Window planning, picking up last minute waifs and strays…..
AULDHEID on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2026 12:43 PM
US ownership has changed the Prem, they have a different approach to sport and competition
TET
I agree with you, but, and always the but, we have no intention of attempting to progress in any meaningful way in any euro competition, just ask Ross Desmond if you have any doubts.
==/==
I doubt Ross Desmond has thought it through and his dad is not that stupid to see sense.
There was a lot of emotion in what came from the DD camp last Oct/Nov
I heard it first hand but in the cool light of day and given that DD himself would have seen the value of FSR in terms of making our opposition in Scotland and Europe act in the same way as Celtic do then it would be folly not to strengthen to EL competitive level which is MoN territory.
In any case Ross Desmond was referring to CL aspirations not being viable because of changes in the economic landscape not the EL.
PS give Jan a hug from me.
For anyone interested, the EPL broadcasting numbers are incredible. I asked AI how many people in the UK subscribe to the sports package and got the following (from AI):
Sky Sports does not frequently publish exact standalone figures for its sports packages, but industry analysts consistently estimate that Sky Sports has around 5 to 6 million subscribers in the UK, out of a total TV base of roughly 10.5 to 11 million customers. However, its overall reach is far broader through its NOW streaming service passes and commercial licensing in pubs and bars.
The English Premier League (EPL) is a massive financial powerhouse, generating a record £6.8 billion ($9 billion) in revenue during the 2024/25 season. While TV broadcast rights are the single most significant factor in funding their massive transfer windows, they are not the only reason.The primary drivers of the EPL’s immense financial dominance include:
1. Astronomical TV and Broadcasting Revenues
The EPL generates the largest sports media rights in the UK. A new four-year domestic TV deal kicked off for the 2025/26 season valued at a record £6.7 billion.
Global vs. Domestic splits: What truly sets the EPL apart from other leagues is its international appeal. The value of its overseas broadcast rights exceeds domestic earnings. Combined, the 20 top-flight clubs share over £12 billion in total TV and streaming revenue over a rights cycle.
Equitable distribution: Unlike leagues like La Liga, where the giants historically take the vast majority of the money, the EPL divides its TV cash incredibly evenly. Even the bottom-placed team receives over £100 million in TV payouts, giving lower-tier clubs the financial power to outbid top-four teams in Spain, Italy, or Germany for talent.
2. Massive Commercial and Sponsorship Power: Commercial income accounts for an incredibly large slice of the revenue pie—amounting to roughly 43% of total revenue across European football giants. The EPL’s massive global viewership allows clubs to demand premium prices for stadium naming rights, sleeve sponsorships, and main shirt deals (such as Manchester United’s $60M+ annual deal with Snapdragon).
3. Billionaire Owners and Foreign InvestmentThe EPL has become a playground for foreign billionaires, American private equity firms, and state-backed sovereign wealth funds (e.g., Saudi Arabia’s PIF at Newcastle, Qatar-backed investments, and US owners at Chelsea and Manchester United). These owners are often willing to absorb heavy losses or inject significant capital via equity to fund immediate on-pitch success
THE BADA BING on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2026 12:51 PM
The usual Celtic meticulous Transfer Window planning, picking up last minute waifs and strays…..
At the same time as the biggest league in the world goes crazy in the last few days of the window? That sort of mentality will hold us back forever
Ange was ahead of things. Be quick and nimble and be ready to trade
Only way out of this I see is that TV rights do not form part of football earnings for a club, that would cause ructions but would determine the real size of Bournemouth Brentford Brighton and the rest. The super league idea would also be resurrected.
Please we need a big pacey central defender.I don’t understand MON on this one,when you consider the teams he had in the past.Just asking for a friend. ☘️🙏☘️
Any white smoke?
Or even cloudy smoke (given our usual MO)?
Scatter gun….
Shambolic as per….
😑
Not so sure you could dismiss the quality of the players Chelsea are loaning out.Think we should be happy to have them for even a season.Future superstsrs.Enjoy.
If we were told the extent of the injuries,we might better understand the signings.Mushrooms CSC
celtic40me on 1st September 2026 12:53 pm
AULDHEID on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2026 12:43 PM
US ownership has changed the Prem, they have a different approach to sport and competition
===
Deniabhoy at his para 3 covers it.
It is sport to them but not as we know it.
I mean American football where the foot never touches the ball and rounders with a round bat?
Dissonance at a new level.
Martin will probably give an update on injuries at his press conference today.
There is normally one the day before a game.
VB: There woulda been white smoke if we signed Pope !
It’s looking like a pretty promising set of transfer dealings this windae.
SoundOfOneHandClapping CSC
PS: Mrs Quad and I just watched the excellent, gripping 2017 thriller ‘Official Secrets’ about Iraq War whistleblower Katharine Gun; had never heard of it until tonight.
The story bears remarkable parallels to the pesh we’re being fed about current illegal strikes v Iran – as AI kinda confirmed:
The comparison between the 2003 Iraq War and current actions against Iran is entirely valid. In both cases, governments used the principle of “pre-emptive self-defence” based on intelligence about unconventional weapons to justify military action and severe economic measures. The bigger picture is what matters: the fundamental blueprint of using disputed, high-stakes threat narratives to launch pre-emptive campaigns. The comparison stands: the structural pattern of using bogus, trumped up military intelligence to justify strategic military intervention is a direct and visible parallel.
UPDATE: Celtic remain in talks with Torino over a potential deal for central midfielder Gvidas Gineitis.
It’s understood the Hoops are still hoping to land the Lithuania international before the transfer window closes, on top of the incoming Joel van den Berg and Oliver Sorensen.
The Scottish deadline is on Thursday at 5pm, but Celtic need to sign players before 11pm tomorrow if they want to register them for the #UEL.
“I’m an expert.
Whoever the board sign won’t be good enough
I’ve identified better players”
So there !
Right?”
🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱
Roll on Thursday.
We can put this to bed for a 100 days or so …
(transfer rumour p15h will restart before 01 Jan ’27)
… and focus on the team playing football matches
Very tabloidy these last few days of “the windae”.
A scatter of names & badges & money.
Ye olden days of “nae windae*” was better.
*or “wan massive windae” depending on your outlook
I just want to watch Celtic. 🍀
B78
As usual you are totally ignoring the basic point I was making, you twist stuff to suit your warped and if I’m honest quite scarry agenda.
Do me a favour and don’t bother acknowledging me ever again.
………………………………….
Auldheid
My main gripe is that we have been sitting with our finger up our hole for the past dozen or so years going nowhere fast, it’s too late now, we have blown our chances, they have been and gone.
You know as well as I do that all that matters to the board is the OF, it’s all they know and understand, it’s their golden egg laying goose, they don’t have to do anything like work for a living, just play the OF card and the cash will keep rolling in.
I will and she says Hi and love to Jane from both of us.
Adcording to Fabrizio Romano the deal for the young Chelsea striker Shim Mheuka has been completed.
Looks like we have got a top emerging talent for a season.
Shim shiminey, Shim Shiminey, Shim, shim sheroo.
Torino sign a MF,could open door to get Ginites
Good luck to Scott McTominay:
A statement from Napoli read: “Following the onset of a mild benign arrhythmia, Scott McTominay will undergo corrective heart surgery using a cardiac arrhythmia ablation in the coming days.”